Thank you for CMiller13, InsideThisFantasy, ray1, MayhemPrincess, KM Rune, and GeorgyPorgy for following my story. I hope this one doesn't disappoint.
Chapter 2Buffy paced back and forth in her bedroom for a few moments, her eyes dark and worried as she considers the nightmare she had. She hates drowning. She rubs her neck, recalling the Master's bite and the moment she drowned.
The man, he had been drowning her… But the worse part of it was Faith, she had shoved her back underwater, trying to drown her.
"Dreams… they mean something," she mutters as she tries to decipher what she saw. With a reluctant sigh she drops it and goes to the bathroom to wash up, stopping when she overhears something. "We go now live to our field reporter, who is standing by at the waterfront with this breaking news about the murder that has shocked the Mayor and residents of Sunnydale." She could see the T.V. from where she stood and edges closer to see a footage of a boat retrieving an awfully familiar body. It is the man who they killed previous night.
"Fishermen discovered the body today, the victim of a brutal stabbing. Authorities and citizens alike were shocked when the slain man was identified as Deputy Mayor Allan Finch." She pales as she realizes that the man is a big public feature. His death would not be something easily overlooked. "Still reeling from the news, Mayor Wilkins had this to say," and the news switch to a press conference with the Mayor standing before the camera.
"Mr. Finch was not only my longtime aide associate, he was a close personal friend. I promise you, I will not rest until whoever did this is found and brought to justice. Thank you very much."
By this time Joyce has noticed Buffy, "Oh, honey, you're up." Buffy just nods her head, stunned beyond belief at this point. "Oh, it's just terrible isn't it?" she asks, her attention back at the TV. What she didn't see is the very pale look on her daughter's face and the fact that she practically runs back to her own room.
Faith comes to a rather simple conclusion. She didn't want be there, listening to Wesley, in the high school library. She props herself up on her fist, peering lazily at the new Watcher - watching him pace back and forth.
"I want you to look into this," he tosses a newspaper onto the table and she looks at it to see the headlines. 'Deputy Mayor Murdered!' blazes across the paper and she looks up at Buffy who looks nervous and uncomfortable. "Find out everything you can about the murder of the Deputy Mayor."
"But that's… I-I mean, that's… That's not really our jurisdiction, is it?" Buffy stumbles over her words while Faith mentally shakes her head, tense as she thinks quickly to cover for her. She'll get them exposed if she doesn't rein in those emotions.
"It's no big, B," she tells the blonde Slayer calmly, "We'll get into it if he wants."
Giles shakes his head, "No, Buffy's right. The Deputy Mayor's murder was the result of human malice." He doesn't notice the Slayers exchanging looks. "There's nothing supernatural about it." Buffy ducks her head slightly while Faith frowns, turning her head away slightly.
"We don't know for that for certain," Wesley argues. "I say it merits investigation."
Giles gets up and walks around to face Wesley directly, "Which I'm sure the police are doing. Meantime, if you ask me, there are better uses for the Slayers' time." Faith couldn't help be a little angry that he's defending her, always defending her.
"Ah," Wesley starts snootily, "But I don't believe I did ask you." He had held up the daily paper out to Giles as he said this.
"Considering the success of your previous adventure…" he starts and Faith has to bite back a laugh, recalling that he apparently squealed like a girl when he had to fight a vampire. Before Giles can continue Cordelia walks into the library and Faith redirects her attention.
"Don't let me interrupt. Wait, let me interrupt. I'm in a hurry," Cordelia says. Faith laughs, covering it up with a cough, at the girl's attitude.
"What did you need?"
"Uh, psych class. Freud and Jung, book me?"
"Happily," Giles says before disappearing for the book.
Cordelia looks bored as she looks around until she sees Wesley. "Check out Giles: the Next Generation. What's your deal?"
"Uh, I, uh… Well…" Faith just about lost it, trying not to laugh, "I'm a…"
She finally takes pity on the man and leans forward on the table. "New Watcher," she answers simply.
"Oh," the brunette cheerleader frowns, probably revising her opinion on the man.
Wesley turns to Buffy with an irritated look, "Does everybody know about you?"
"She's a friend," Buffy defends herself.
"Let's not exaggerate," Cordelia puts in. "So… You're the new Watcher."
Wesley offers his hand, "Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."
Cordelia smiles at him, "I like a man with two last names. I'm Cordelia."
"And you teach psychology," he injects with a smile.
"I take psychology," she corrects him.
"She's a student," Giles informs him as he walks past them with Cordelia's books. Wesley immediately drops her hand like hot coal.
"Oh, well. I, uh," he clears his throat, "Yes. In fact, I am… here to watch… girls." Buffy and Faith snickers behind their hand as he struggles to stop stammering. "Uh, uh, Buffy and Faith, to be specific," he manages to say before turning his gaze away.
Cordelia, not one to let someone off the hook, steps closer. "Well, it's about time we got some fresh blood around here."
The poor Watcher could only laugh nervously, "Well, fresh… yes."
Giles, having already stamps the due date into the books, hands them over to Cordelia. "Here we go."
"Thanks," she tells him before turning briefly back to Wesley. "So, welcome to Sunnydale." She walks out of the library with an extra swing in her hips, drawing Wesley's attention to her back like moth to a flame.
"My… she is cheeky, isn't she?" Wesley mutters.
"Uh, first word: jail. Second word: bait," Faith snickers from behind him.
"Ahem," he clears his throat as he pulls out his handkerchief - removing his glasses to start cleaning them. "Well, uh… where were we?"
"Done," Buffy says as she slips off the table, "I mean, we were done, right?"
Faith, following Buffy's cue, stands up, "Yep. Off to patrol, so we'll see ya."
"One moment, girls, I'm your commander now. And on the matter of this murder, I am resolved. Natural or super, I want to know," he orders. Faith glances at Buffy and shrugs her shoulders.
"Fine by me," she says to him. "Always ready to kick a little bad guy butt." She touches her hand to Buffy's shoulder and the two of them walk out.
They did not travel far before ducking into an empty classroom. Buffy closes the door behind her while Faith hurries to the other door, checking to make sure that it is closed as well before going back to the other blonde Slayer. "So, yer gonna rat me out? Is that it?" she challenges the blonde when they meet in the center of the room.
"Faith, please, we have to tell Giles. I can't pretend to investigate this! I can't pretend that I don't know what happened to that man!"
"Oh I see," Faith sneers at her, "You can pretend that Angel's still dead when you need to protect him? And you can't do the same for me?!" At this point she's close to pushing the blonde Slayer.
"I am trying to protect you!" Buffy exclaims. She stops and tugs on the ends of her hair. Trying to recall what the woman had told her about Faith. "Faith… I know that Giles and I haven't done anything to demonstrate that we trust you, that you can rely on us. I will rectify that as soon as I can, but right now… Look, if-if we don't do the right thing, it's only going to make things worse for you." Faith looks at her, distrust blatant in her eyes.
"Worse than jail for the rest of my frickin' life?" Faith snaps, "NO WAY!"
Buffy closes her eyes and silently pleas for guidance. "Faith… what happened… it wasn't just your fault…" She sees Faith start to interrupt and she hurries. "What happened, it wasn't the first time in Slayer history something like that happened! What we did was…"
"Yeah," Faith barrels in, "WE. Ya were right there beside me when this whole thing went down. Anythin' I have to answer for, ya do, too! Yer a part of this, B. All the way." The brunette storms out of the room, leaving a shell-shocked Buffy behind.
After that futile attempt of a conversation with Willow she ditches school and goes up to the highest building, the one with the billboard. No sooner did she climb to the top did she hear the subtle crunch of gravel. She turns around to find the brunette walking towards her, her face illustrated by the sun for the first time since they met. Before she had thought the woman to be in her mid-twenties, perhaps the late twenties, but now - with the aid of the stronger light - Buffy can see that the woman is actually younger than she thought. Maybe closer to her late teens or early twenties. She is still remarkably similar to Faith, wearing the tight leather pants and a tank top tucked into the pants, pulling the material taut over her flat belly and the curves of her chest.
Blushing Buffy realizes that she is staring at the woman's body and turns her head away. She hears the soft chuckles and wishes that she can go and die already. "Don't be embarrassed, Annie," the woman teases, "Nuthin' wrong 'bout lookin' at another gal's body."
"I-I'm not a," Buffy stutters.
The brunette chuckles and leans against the metal supports for the billboard. "Lookin' doesn't make ya a lesbian, Annie. It's the want, desire, to touch and taste 'em that makes ya a lesbian." Buffy nods her head stiffly before sighing. As if sensing the change in the air the brunette straightens up and starts flexing her hands. "May as well get it out of yer system, Annie," she tells the blonde tiredly.
So Buffy did, ranting about how Faith is just so stubborn. Refusing the very idea of trying to talk with Giles about what happened, even when she tried to explain that it's not the first time a Slayer has killed a civilian in the good fight. She took it all in and decides that she may have to retort to drastic measures soon. What those measures will be will depend largely on Faith.
"It seems like things will become worse before they start to improve… Though I will have to do what I can to ensure that the insufferable Watcher doesn't do something." Buffy looks at her, puzzled for a long moment. "I wouldn't worry about it," she tells the blonde. "Just be prepared for Faith to lash out at everyone. The closer people try to get to her the worse the pain she will try to give them."
"Is that her way of saying she loves them?"
The woman frowns and after a long moment she shrugs her shoulders. "Ya could say its somethin' like that." She turns to look over the town, her eyes dark even with the sun glaring down upon them. "Faith has a tendency to push back at people. The closer they are to her the harder she pushes." She looks over at the blonde and they stare at each other for a long moment before looking away from each other.
"Oh…"
"Oh is right," the brunette mutters. She's not looking forward to the next few days because she knows that the consequences of her back up plans may be worse than she is prepared for.
That night, on a scouting mission for Wesley, Faith and Buffy breaks into the City Hall - locating Allan Finch's office within minutes. Buffy closes the door behind them after checking to make sure the coast is clear.
"I'm tellin' ya," Faith starts darkly, "we did the world a favor." Buffy glances at Faith as she starts to ruffle around, listening to the dark Slayer settle herself into the chair behind the desk. "This guy was 'bout as interestin' as watchin' paint dry."
Buffy looks up uneasily at the other Slayer. "Faith…" she starts.
"Jeez, B, I'm joking," Faith reassures the blonde, a light smile appearing on her face before disappearing. "Lighten up a little." She looks across the deputy mayor's desk and notices a picture of him with the Mayor. While Buffy goes through the papers in his inbox the brunette picks up the picture frame and stares at it, cradling it gently between her hands. "He… he came out of nowhere," she mutters softly. She couldn't help but wonder if he has a wife and kids - how they're taking his death. The death she caused.
Buffy overhears this and slows what she is doing. Carefully keeping her eyes at what is happening before her. "I know," she whispers softly, recalling her own role in this.
Faith, suddenly aware that she's not alone in her own thoughts, becomes defensive. "Whatever," she mutters as she puts the picture back, "I'm not lookin' to hug and cry and learn and grow. I sure as hell ain't gonna sing Kumbaya with ya. I'm just sayin' it happened real quickly, ya know?" She quickly pulls open a drawer, finding that everything is neat and in place - indicating that Finch is very meticulous about his things.
Buffy has started to go through some papers lying on the top of the filing cabinets. Faith goes through a few more drawers before scowling. She sees nothing that suggests anything about the man aside from the fact that he is basically anal about his things - possibly has OCD.
"Ya know what? Let's just blow. Who cares what this guy was 'bout?" she scowls as she slips out of the chair. "It's kind of moot now, don't ya think?"
Buffy sighs and pulls open a drawer, noting that there is nothing in there. "I don't think he was in that alley by chance. I think he was lookin' for us," she comments, wondering for a moment how he knew about them but figures that because it is just a small town they are known. "I'd like to know why he wanted us.
"So, what, ya think there's some big conspiracy?" Faith scoffs. "I think ya got wacked in the head one too many times B."
Buffy closes the drawer and opens another one. All the folders in it are empty as well. Faith goes over to where the blonde is and sees this as well. "You were saying?"
"So his papers are gone," Faith shrugs, "That doesn't prove anythin'."
"Except that somebody didn't want us to prove anything," Buffy replies. She watches how an understanding look comes across her face and the dark Slayer looks at the drawer.
"That," she starts softly, "changes everythin'."
Buffy frowns as she considers what she had heard - crossing the street with Faith close behind her. It was shocking, discovering that the Mayor of all people is the new Big Bad for this season. Working with a vampire - and she can only guess just what else he is involved in - and they're planning something. What they might be up to, she doesn't know but the idea of it leaves her with an uncomfortable feeling deep in her stomach.
"So the Mayor of Sunnydale is a Black Hat," Faith starts. "That's a shocker, huh?" she finishes sarcastically.
"Actually," Buffy mutters, "yeah. I didn't get the bad guy vibe off of him."
Faith shakes her head, exasperated with the blonde. "When are ya gonna learn, B? It doesn't matter what kind of vibe ya get off a person. 'Cause nine times out of ten, the face they're showin' ya is not the real one." She couldn't help but think about how true that statement is for her.
Buffy looks at the brunette, a tight frown on her lips. "I suppose you would know a lot about that." Faith stops, turning to face her, with her eyes narrowed.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Buffy tries to reign in her emotions but they still swelled up, crashing against her mental hold on them. "It's just… look at you, Faith. Less than twenty-four hours ago, we killed a man. A-and now it's all zip-a-dee-doo-dah?" she shakes her head. "It's not your real face and I know it!" She wrings her hands. "Look, I know what you're feeling because I'm feeling it too."
"Do ya?" Faith says insolently, practically sneering. "So fill me in 'cause I'd like to heart this."
"Dirty, like something sick crept inside you and you can't get it out. And you keep hoping that it was just some nightmare, but it wasn't. And we are gonna have to figure out…"
"Is there gonna be an intermission in this?" Faith interrupts.
Buffy rubs her face, hiding her pleading expression as she thinks of the woman that reminds her so greatly of Faith. "Faith… I know you don't trust anyone but we need to talk to Giles, okay? I swear…"
"NO!" Faith explodes, grabbing Buffy and dragging her into the nearest alley, shoving her against the wall. "We're not bringin' anybody else into this! Ya gotta keep yer head, B!" She releases the blonde, stepping back as if she is surprised that she had reacted so strongly. "This is all gonna blow over in a few days," she promises, feeling hollowed as she say those words.
"And if it doesn't?"
Faith rolls her shoulders as she thinks. "If it doesn't, well they got a freighter leavin' the docks at least twice a day." She watches Buffy's face fall into disbelief. "It ain't fancy, but it gets ya gone."
"And that's it?" Buffy asks, "You're just going to run away? To live with the fact that there's a man dead because of us?" The blonde has taken to gesturing by this point. "You're just going to accept the fact that we're going to see a dead guy in our heads for the rest of our lives?!"
Faith steps closer again, "Buffy. I ain't gonna see anythin'!" She leans in, boxing the blonde Slayer in. "I missed the mark last night and I'm sorry 'bout the guy, I really am." She pauses for a moment. She pulls away, "But it happens, B. Anyway, how many people do ya think we've saved by now? Thousands? And didn't ya stop the world from endin'?" She crosses her arms, "I dunno how ya see things, B, but in my book that puts ya and me in the plus column."
"But that doesn't mean we can do whatever we want! We were made to help people!"
"Why not, B? The guy I offed, by pure accident, was no Gandhi!" Buffy could hear a subtle growl taking root in the brunette's throat. "I mean, we just saw that he was mixed up in dirty dealings!"
"Maybe," Buffy admits before shaking her head. "But what if he was coming to us for help?"
"So maybe he was," Faith gives to Buffy. "But yer still not seein' the big picture, B. Somethin' made us different. We're warriors, we're built to kill."
Buffy becomes tense at those words, "To kill demons!" Her hands starts to gesture again. "But it does not mean that we get to pass judgment on people like we're better than anyone else! Like we're gods!"
"We are better!" Faith snaps and Buffy is taken back by it. Faith takes a deep breath as a smile starts to form on her face - pushing the guilt away as she comes up with a good excuse for what happened. "That's right… better. People need us to survive," Faith tells her quietly. "When it's all said and done, nobody's gonna cry over some random bystander who got caught in the crossfire."
Buffy shakes her head. "What about his family? What about the people who knows him?" Buffy prods and Faith frowns. "What if we killed someone else? A true innocent who wasn't involved with some scheme? They're going to have someone to mourn for them…" Faith shakes her head. "Faith… if you were to die I'd cry for you." The brunette looks at her in disbelief.
"Well…" Faith starts before stopping herself. She doesn't know what to say so she turns her back on Buffy and walks away.
Buffy stares after her before sighing to herself and walks out of the alley, heading home.
Out from the shadows step the older brunette, her eyes following Faith for a long moment. "She's gettin' to ya now," she comments before she turns her gaze towards Buffy. "… Things will get worse before they get better," she whispers before turning back into the shadows, disappearing.
I don't like begging but I'm kind of curious as to what is your opinion of this story. So please, review and let me know if this is worth my time or not. Other than that, have a good day or night (depending on where you're at of course)